Leicester, already linked with World Cup-winning coach Jake White as a replacement for Marcelo Loffreda, have also been casting their eye on another South African, the 40-year-old Heyneke Meyer.

The former Springbok assistant coach has never been a head coach at international level but has the best current domestic record in South Africa, having led the Blue Bulls to the Super 14 title last year and four Currie Cups in five years.

Meyer was the favourite to succeed White as Springbok coach but was passed over in favour of Peter de Villiers, the first black coach of South Africa's national side who was appointed in January. Meyer said at the time that, "if I can't coach the Boks, I don't want to coach".

He then announced he was cutting all links with rugby after SA Rugby's president Oregan Hoskins had failed to follow through on reports they were trying to keep him in their structures. "We are looking at ways and means of keeping Heyneke Meyer in the system," Hoskins said.

Meyer had already resigned as coach of the Blue Bulls by that stage and so has been forced to look afar to remain involved in rugby. He had been linked with a move to Stade Français but failed to come to an agreement and is now working in Johannesburg for a sports nutrition company. He reportedly met Leicester representatives last week.

Discipline, structure and planning were the areas Meyer excelled in during his seven-year spell at the Bulls, although his teams were sometimes criticised for a lack of flair.

White has also been linked with the Leicester position although it is understood that his insistence on bringing in his own coaching team is a sticking point.

Eddie O'Sullivan, who resigned as Ireland's coach after the Six Nations, is also a contender, along with the New Zealand attack coach and former Northampton director of rugby, Wayne Smith, and the Tigers' former New Zealand centre, Daryl Gibson, who is part of Glasgow's coaching team. Ewen McKenzie, fired by the Waratahs this year, had attracted Leicester's interest before he took over at Stade Français yesterday.

The Leicester chairman, Peter Tom, said there had been a "massive amount of interest" in the position. "This is one of the biggest rugby clubs in Europe and when a senior position at Leicester Tigers becomes available it will always attract a lot of interest because we have a high profile and a record of success," he said.

"There has been a massive amount of interest [in the head coach's role] and we have received a large number of inquiries. We are in the process of arranging to see a number of candidates although this can take some time."